Logic and Madness
by Kzunten Kidaurqoi
Summary: The Enterprise encounters a fleet of Federation ships lost in space, with no Federation crewmen aboard. They must rescue the lost crew and battle the strange disease that afflicts each of them differently.
1. Chapter 1

_**Live long and prosper! Boldly go where no man—or Vulcan, or whatever—has gone before! Read my story!**_

"All channels clear, Captain," said Lieutenant Uhura, turning to look at the screen, where a fleet of ships stood motionless and silent in space.

"But why?" asked Captain Kirk. "They're Federation ships, they have no reason to ignore us—Spock, there are people aboard those ships, aren't there?"

Spock checked his monitors. "Indeed, Captain. I detect several thousand humanoids, all told."

"But what could such large passenger ships be doing in this barren corner of the universe? Lieutenant Uhura, open a channel. I'd like to try once more." When she signaled to him, Kirk began to speak. "This is Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise, greetings. What brings you so far out in the galaxy? Do you need help? Please respond."

There was a moment of silence, then "Still no response, Captain," said Lieutenant Uhura.

"All right," said Kirk, "we'll beam aboard. There may be trouble on those ships."

Minutes later, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Sulu stepped down from the beaming area on the lead ship of the fleet. The room was empty but for one man, dressed in a black robe with a red cloak, and carrying a short spear. At first he raised the spear as if to strike, but then, seeing the emblems on their shirts, lowered his weapon. "Ah, Federation," he said in a thick accent. "Then you are welcome. I am Agwean."

The men looked at one another incredulously, unsure of what to make of this strange welcome. Kirk spoke. "Ah, Agwean, can you take us to other Federation men on this ship?"

"No," said Agwean. "There are none here. I will take you to Daöse Kida. She is our leader until our king returns, and she will tell you everything." He turned and strode down the corridor. After exchanging nonplussed glances, the men followed.

Agwean took them to a well-furnished room. A lady rose up to greet them, dressed all in red, with red circles painted around her eyes. "Greetings, men of the Federation," she said, her accent slightly less than Agwean's. "I am Kida."

"I'm Captain James Kirk, and this is my First Officer Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Mr. Sulu. Kida, can you tell us why you are on this ship, and why you say there are no Federation officers on the ship?"

"I will tell you the story of our people," said Kida. "It will answer your questions.

"We are the people of the land of Meinuit. Meinuit was a beautiful island, with great forests and mountains that spat fire. We had lived there for millions of sun-cycles, since the great ocean-trees began to sway in the wind. We knew nothing of ships in the sky or of other worlds, though we told stories about them and studied the skies. But then a Federation ship had mechanical difficulties and had to land on Meinuit. We were all greatly astonished, but when we saw that the people who came from the ship meant us no harm, we welcomed them and befriended them. With their instruments they discovered that our island would soon be destroyed by the fire-mountains, and we needed to leave it. Indeed, the fire-mountains they called volcanoes spat fire with ever more force as time went on, and each time they erupted they wrought greater destruction upon us. We knew that the Federation men were right, that it was too dangerous to stay on Meinuit. They sent for a fleet of ships to take us away into the sky. They told us they could find another place for us, another planet where we could live and be safe. We trusted them, and agreed to go away on their ships.

"It took five years for the ships to arrive, since we were so far away. In that time, we came to know of the Federation, of their instruments, and their language. The Federation men taught us much. The captain of the ship was called Harry Easton, and he was well-liked among our people."

"Harry Easton!" Kirk exclaimed. "He was a great friend of mine, back at the Academy. How is he? Where is he?"

A fleeting sadness passed over Kida's face. "He is not well," she said softly. "I hope with all my heart that he is still alive. But I will finish my tale, and you shall know.

"The ships came, and took us away into the sky. For two years we sailed, but then we came upon a Phobotian fleet and were taken captive."

Spock squinted. It seemed to him that the light had gotten very dim.

"The Phobotians took all the Federation men onto their ships. They knew that without them we were stranded, for we could not fly the ships on our own. They also took onto their ships our king and queen, and their daughter, Princess Zila. Princess Zila's mind is not well. From her youth it has been so, though she has yet seen but fifteen years. She sees strange visions and hears strange voices, which often give her great fear.

For several days we remained there—on our ships, but in captivity nonetheless. The entire time, Agwean studied the ship. From what the Federation men had told him and from what he saw, he tried to teach himself to fly it. If we set off suddenly and quickly, we might be able to escape, since the Phobotians would not be expecting it. They thought we were too stupid to understand.

Then one day, Princess Zila was returned to us. We wondered at this, since the Federation men and our king and queen were still on their ships. We had had the princess back with us only a few days when Agwean flew the ships. They were on interfleet command, so he could fly them all from the lead ship. He wanted us to get away quickly, and he didn't want the Phobotians to see which direction we escaped in, so he set it at warp factor 7.5."

"That's not safe," said Sulu. "I'm surprised your dilithium crystals didn't explode at that level."

"They almost did," said Kida. "Agwean is very good at running the ships, but he did not understand the damage warp factor 7.5 would do. We flew away, but soon he realized the danger and stopped the ships just in time. The good thing was, the Phobotians did not see where we went. However, our dilithium crystals were so spent that we could go no farther. We are stranded in space, and running low on power."

"Ah," said Spock. "You're running out of power. That explains why it's so dark in here."

The others exchanged worried glances. "Spock, it isn't dark," said Kirk.

"I'm sorry to disagree with you, Captain," said Spock, "but it's grown so dark in here I can barely see you."

Kirk started to his feet. "What? Bones, what's wrong with him?"

McCoy whipped out one of his instruments and held it over each of Spock's eyes. Spock sat erect and motionless, staring straight ahead. McCoy stood up. "Captain, his sight is greatly impaired, and it's getting worse at an unbelievable rate. If it continues like this he'll be completely blind within five hours."

"Captain Kirk." Kida was also standing. "I and my people must take responsibility for this. I am sorry."

"You did this?" Kirk stepped forward to face her.

"No," said Kida. "If I may explain—"

"Explain," said Kirk. They sat down.

"When the Phobotians returned Princess Zila to us, they released onto our fleet a disease. It takes away the senses of those who catch it, and soon they fall into a deep sleep. Though their hearts beat, not one has woken." She lowered her head. "We could not warn you not to come here. We have not yet learned to use the machine that sends our words to other ships. Once you had come, we could not send you back. If you return to your ship, the disease will follow you, and all the men on your ship will be exposed to it. All we could do was explain to you our situation." She rose. "I'll show you to some empty rooms. You'll have to stay here."

McCoy fully expected Captain Kirk to become angry, demand to be freed and allowed to return to the Enterprise. Indeed, it seemed for a moment that he was about to start shouting. But instead he swallowed and said quietly, "I understand." He turned and walked out of the room. Kida and the men followed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Daöse Kida," said Spock as McCoy led him down the corridor, "may I ask you a few questions?"

"Certainly," she responded.

"So, I will eventually lose my senses," said Spock, "and Dr. McCoy, Sulu and Captain Kirk are also at risk of catching this disease. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Fascinating," Spock mused. "Does it always hit so fast?"

"No," said Kida. 'This is quite remarkable. Usually it takes around a week for the first sense to be lost."

"And after the first sense is lost, how long does it take for the next sense to begin to fade away?"

"Again, around a week."

"Have many of your people caught this disease?"

"Nearly half have shown symptoms. It has devastated us. We have found no common factor among those affected."

"Tell me, Daöse Kida," said Spock, "has Princess Zila been able to tell you anything about what happened to her on the Phobotian ship?"

"Not yet," said Kida, "although it's wonderful how well she's doing. She is calmer and less afraid, and she is thinking more clearly than she has in years. I think she may be ready to tell us."

"Indeed?" said Spock, raising an eyebrow. "How interesting that she should recover in such conditions. Captain Kirk, I believe you should speak with her."

"I will," said Kirk, as they stepped towards the door. After Spock, Sulu, and McCoy had entered, Kirk pulled Kida aside. "Kida—is there anything we can do for Spock? Is there any hope for him?"

"You are our hope, Captain Kirk," said Kida. "We will do everything we can to help you, but you must teach us what to do and help us if we are to find the cure and recover those who are lost."

"We'll do what we can," said Kirk.

Kirk walked into the room. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say to Princess Zila, but he had handled mind-controllers before, so shouldn't he be able to handle someone who couldn't even control her own mind?

Princess Zila was standing, looking out a window at the stars. She wore loose red pants and a loose red sleeveless shirt, with a red cord around each wrist and ankle. She turned as Kirk and Kida entered. "Greetings, Princess Zila. I am Captain Kirk," Kirk began.

"Captain…Captain…Captain Easton," Zila murmured. "He is very kind. Kida wore green for him—he did not understand, but she was so happy. He, too, would have worn green, but he was not fles Meinuit. Now she wears red, and he wears white." She fell abruptly silent and turned back to the window.

"Princess Zila," said Kirk, "could you tell me what happened when the Phobotians took you onto their ships?"

"They came onto the ships," said Zila. "They found on a computer the list of all the Federation men and women. They had my father the king and my mother the queen. They made my parents stand against the wall, and pointed pieces of metal at them."

"Phasers," Kirk realized.

"They did this to me also," continued Zila. "I was very afraid. I screamed and tried to fight them, but they tied me down. I did not know then what they were going to do, or I would not have acted that way."

"What?" burst out Kirk. Zila continued as if she had not heard.

"They sent their voice throughout each ship, calling the names from the list of Federation crew members and saying that if each one did not come, I and my parents would be killed. Everyone came. Then they made us all go to their ships. We were all afraid. They shut us in a room. And then—" Zila smiled. "I understood."

"What do you mean, Princess Zila?" Kirk asked.

"I was still very afraid," she said, "but the voices that taunt me were gone. I was afraid for the others—what I saw happening to them—but not for myself, since they had helped me. I did not understand why they had done this, but I saw what was real. But—" her voice dropped to a whisper—"they took it away from me again, and—" her voice had slowly risen, and now she was screaming—"they took my father the king, and my mother the queen, and—"

"Captain Kirk, I'm sorry, but I think you should leave," said Kida, hurrying to the princess.

Kirk left, but all the way down the corridor, Zila's cries rang in his ears—"Stop it! Wake up! Can't you hear me, father? Can't you see? Can't anyone? Wake up!"

Back in the room Kida had shown them to, McCoy was checking Spock over. "I have no idea what this disease could be," he said. "Except for this blindness, you're perfectly fine."

"Dr. McCoy, may I suggest that you check my other senses as well? The disease seems to be progressing quite rapidly in me, and it is logical to assume that—"

"Oh, quiet, Spock, can't you see I'm—" McCoy stopped. All at once his anger began to ebb, and he calmed down. "I'm sorry, Spock. I guess I'm just under stress."

"That's quite all right, Doctor," Spock replied.

"We'll begin with your sense of smell," said McCoy, pulling a tube out of his bag. He opened it and gave it to Spock, who held it under his nose. "Do you smell anything?"

"I detect a faint odor, but that is all," said Spock.

"What is that awful stuff, Doctor?" said Sulu, who was sitting across the room from them. "I can smell it from here!"

Just then, Kirk entered. "Bones, something stinks in here," he said.

"I've just been checking everyone's sense of smell," said McCoy. "You, Sulu, and I passed with flying colors. Spock, however, is failing. He can barely smell it."

"Is there anything you can do?" said Kirk.

"I'm going to attempt to isolate the agent causing the disease so I can study it," said McCoy. "It's all I can do at this point."

"That's all right, Bones," said Kirk distractedly. "Do you have my transmitter?" McCoy handed it to him, and he flipped it open. "Kirk to Enterprise, do you read me?"

"Scotty here, Captain. I read you."

"Scotty, have Chekhov locate the nearest Phobotian fleet."

"Why don't you just send Spock back and have him do it?" said Scotty. "He's the one who does all the detecting. Chekhov doesn't know how to do half of it."

"Scotty." Kirk paused. "There's a disease on this ship. Spock's already caught it. We can't beam back or we'll spread it to you. Now, if you'll tell Chekhov to find that fleet."

"Aye, Captain."

"And tell Starfleet Command that an unknown number of Federation officers and crew members under Captain Harry Easton have been taken captive by the Phobotians. We're going to rescue them, so when you locate the fleet, head toward them. Give us a power boost, and we'll follow you with this fleet."

"Aye, Captain." There was a silence. "How bad is Spock, Captain?"

"He's in great danger, Scotty. We just need to find those Phobotians. They may have the cure."

"Aye, Captain."

"Kirk out." Kirk flipped the transmitter shut and turned. "Sulu, why don't we go have a look at the controls of this ship?" Sulu did not respond. "Sulu!" Kirk barked.

"Yes, Captain," said Sulu, springing to his feet.

"Didn't you hear me?" said Kirk.

"No, Captain," said a bewildered Sulu as they left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Agwean, could you show Mr. Sulu the controls of these ships?" said Kirk. "He's a very good pilot."

"Certainly," said Agwean. "Do you think—" he hesitated—"he could teach me to fly the ships?"

"I'm sure he will," Kirk replied, smiling. "But first, I'd like to speak to you, if you don't mind. It's about Princess Zila. I believe she's the key to all this."

"I'll answer any questions you have," said Agwean, as they began to walk to the control room.

"Princess Zila said something about Kida wearing green for Harry Easton, but now she wears red and he wears white."

"Ah," said Agwean, grinning knowingly. "Well, Captain Kirk, in Meinuitian tradition, every color has meaning. Green is the color of love, and if someone wears green for another, it means they love that person. Of course," he chuckled, "it was—what is the word?—mischievous of Zila to say such a thing. Don't tell Kida I told you what green meant."

"All right," said Kirk, smiling. "How about red?"

Agwean's voice grew sober. "Red is the color of sadness and mourning," he said. "We all wear it now, for the Federation men, for our lost king and queen, and for those of us who have fallen prey to the Phobotians' disease."

"I see," said Kirk. "And white?"

"White is the color of sleep," said Agwean.

"Captain's log, stardate 52:43.7: it has now been six days since we arrived on this ship. Mr. Sulu's hearing is failing, and Mr. Spock is doing very badly. Dr. McCoy says he has little time left." Kirk put down his tricorder and turned to look at Spock, who lay on a cot nearby.

"Captain," said Spock hoarsely.

"What is it, Spock?" asked Kirk, going to his side.

"I've been thinking—Princess Zila," Spock managed. "She said—she understood—all clear. The rest fell asleep. But she was all clear."

"Yes, Spock," Kirk said urgently. "Go on."

"I was hit first. She—does better—recovers—not catching it. Her mind—my mind—logic—logic…" His voice trailed away, and his sightless eyes closed.

Kirk turned away, thinking. Suddenly, he looked up, comprehension shining in his face. "Logic," he said softly.

Just then, McCoy burst into the room. "Jim, I've isolated the disease," he said.

"Perfect, Bones," said Kirk. "Give it to Princess Zila."

Normally, McCoy would have responded, "What? Jim, are you out of your mind?" But he didn't. Instead, he said calmly, "I assume you have a good reason, Jim, so I'll do it."

Kirk stopped. "That's not like you, Bones," he said. "I thought you'd ask me if I was out of my mind."

"It did occur to me," McCoy admitted. "But I thought better of it."

"Yes. You did," said Kirk thoughtfully. "It fits. Come on, I'll explain it to you on the way."

"You see," Kirk said as they walked quickly down the corridor, "Princess Zila told us—albeit rather obscurely—that the Phobotians gave the disease in concentrated form to those they took onto their ships. Remember, she said, "Can't you hear me? Can't you see?" and, several times, "Wake up!" She also mentioned Captain Easton in connection with the color white, which represents sleep to the Meinuitians."

"All right, I see what you're saying," said McCoy.

"She also said that when those around her were succumbing to the disease, she understood, she saw what was real, and the voices in her head were gone."

"Yes," said McCoy.

"Now look at Spock and Princess Zila," continued Kirk. "They're complete opposites. Spock is logical; he has a completely ordered and rational mind. Zila's mind was in chaos, completely irrational. I suggest that this disease cannot easily attack an irrational mind. First it has to affect the mind in some way to make it more rational, and then it can begin to take away the victim's senses. Thus, Spock is immediately affected, far faster than usual, and Princess Zila's mind improves when she is exposed to the disease. Even you and I, Bones, who have lost none of our senses, are displaying the effects of the disease. We find ourselves less inclined to react emotionally and more inclined to reasoned response. What do you think, Bones?"

"I think," said McCoy, as they entered the lab, "this theory of yours is very well reasoned. And, if I may borrow the term from Spock—" he smiled. "Fascinating."

"I think the disease—or cure, depending on how you look at it—will have had effect on her by now," said McCoy. "I just hope I got the dose right. If I gave her too much, she'll be blind or deaf. Shall we go see her?"

"After you, Bones," said Kirk. They entered the room.

It was immediately evident that Princess Zila was different. She was now dressed much like Kida, in a red robe with red circles painted around her eyes. She was seated next to Kida, but rose to greet the two men as they entered.

"How are you, Princess Zila?" McCoy inquired.

"Much better, thanks to you and Captain Kirk," said Zila. "And there are a few things I need to tell you if you are to rescue those taken captive—I'm not sure if I told you before."

"Go ahead," said Kirk.

"When we were taken onto the ship, they did give us the disease," she confirmed. "They were testing it. They were going to use it as a weapon against the Federation, since Phobotians have an immunity to it. I was an important part of the experiment, because they wanted to see if it would have an effect on the insane. Of course, it did, but not the one they had hoped. I thought they had helped me on purpose, although I didn't understand why they had put my parents and the others to sleep. They told me—I think—some story about how my parents were sick with a contagious disease which wasn't the Phobotians' fault, and that was why I couldn't see them, although they—the Phobotians—were doing all they could to help them. I believed them," she said bitterly. "The vile bruxexani—" Kida laid a comforting hand on Zila's arm. Zila took a breath, then resumed her tale. "They took blood samples from me and ran other tests. I was compliant, since I thought they were my friends. Since I was so cooperative, they let me roam around the ship, and they had me do odd jobs for them. After a few days, however, they had finished their tests on me, and they no longer wanted me around. They gave me the antidote to the disease so I would be insane again, because they did not want me to remember all I had seen on their ship. Then they returned me to my people. But now that you have helped me, Doctor, I remember all that they wished me to forget." She handed Kirk a piece of paper.

"What's this?" said Kirk, studying it.

"A plan of the lead Phobotian ship, as well as I remember it," she replied. "I'm afraid I don't know what the cure for the disease is, but I remember where it is kept. I also remember where the prisoners are—Hold E, right there," she said, pointing. "That's the room we were taken to when the disease was given to us, and they were never moved."

"Thank you, Princess Zila, this is very helpful," said Kirk. "Would you happen to know whether any guards are kept around the room with the cure and the room where the prisoners are kept?"

"They kept guards there when I was on the ships," said Zila. "Undoubtedly they do so still."

"Well, Bones," said Kirk, as they left the room, "It's time to put these logical brains of ours to work. Let's see if we can come up with a plan."


End file.
